On Care for Our Common Home: The Encyclical Letter Laudato Si'

Addressed not only to Catholics but to every person living on this planet, Pope Francis' second encyclical is a challenging call for a bold cultural revolution in how we think about technological progress and economic growth. The degradation of our environment, he says, is a symptom of deeper problems: rapid change, unsustainable overconsumption, indifference to the poor, and the decay of social values. He offers a variety of solutions, including a change in lifestyles away from extreme consumerism and towards a greater sense of social responsibility. For Christians, an ecological spirituality one that is grounded in the convictions of our faith is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience. Drawing on the rich social teachings of the Church, Laudato Si is a groundbreaking document that will be discussed and studied by both believers and non-believers for years to come.